Tuesday, January 6, 2015

Ten on Tuesday | Well-intended.

...just six days into the new year and I'm already documenting intentions. Thank you, Carole - I think this is a record! I wasn't sure I was even going to do anything (more than that One Thing) this year until Christmas. But things came together and I have a word - it's Present. as in Be Present. Inspired almost entirely by these two images.

Katie took that first photo back on December 2 and Kal Barteski posted the second one on Instagram three weeks ago. When I saw Kal's post, I remembered a quotation I'd read on Ali Edwards' blog years ago (it took me a few hours to track it down!)

...but the biggest mistake I made is the one that most of us make while doing this. I did not live in the moment enough. This is particularly clear now that the moment is gone, captured only in photographs. There is one picture of the three on them sitting in the grass on a quilt in the shadow of the swing set on a summer day, ages 6, 4, and 1. And I wish I could remember what we ate, and what we talked about, and how they sounded, and how they looked when they slept that night. I wish I had not been in a hurry to get on to the next things: dinner, bath, book, bed. I wish I had treasured the doing a little more and the getting it done a little less. ~ Anna Quindlen

I am not at all one for regrets, but these words spoke loudly to me when I first read them ... and even louder now. I want to turn those wishes into reality. Marc & I have been married over 30 years and the girls are grown; but with Charlie...well, it's all possible!

11 comments:

I'm sitting here teary-eyed reading the Anna Quindlen quote, especially the last sentence; thanks for taking the time to track it down."Be present" is one of my most important intentions this year, so thank you for your presence and present!

Your list of intentions show a lot of wisdom. Have you ever read Jean-Pierre De Caussade's Sacrament of the Present Moment? It was written in 18th century France, but contains so much that is relevant to our busy lives today.

Because I worked everyday of Dan's life one of my biggest regrets is that I feel like we were always moving on to the next thing instead of enjoying the moment. He's okay and we're okay but... I'm getting myself a new journal TODAY Mary. Putting the old one away that has pretty much sat since 2012. And #8, here's to a whole lot of that this year! xo